Faced with a road accident, the role of the witness or person intervening is fundamental. Indeed, having arrived at the place of the accident, the witness has to ensure the protection of the place of the accident in order to avoid further accident complications and thus to ensure the protection of the victims and the emergency services.
To do so, on approaching the place of the accident, the witness must, first of all, switch on his warning lights and slow down progressively while checking that no other vehicle arrives at high speed. He must next park his vehicle after the place the accident, ideally on the hard shoulder. Next, the witness has to wear a reflective garment in order to be visible by other vehicles.
The witness must, thereafter, ensure the marking of the place of the accident. The marking of the place of the accident delimits the area of intervention of the witness or witnesses and/or emergency services and constitutes a physical protective barrier for the victim and/or the witnesses and/or the emergency services. Marking elements having fluorescence and retro-reflection characteristics must then be positioned at a regulatory distance from the place of the accident. In this way, drivers are warned of the obstacle sufficiently in advance to slow down and/or to stop if necessary and to take another lane for example.
However, ensuring the marking of the place of the accident slows down the witness in taking charge of the victims, the lives of whom are in danger.